Time-Warp Wednesday

When we left the grocery store today, we had a helper put the groceries in the back of the van while I wrangled the sniffly-nosed, over-done, past-exhaustion, screaming-in-my-ear two year old into her seat.  This left Ashley with the opportunity to inform our helper that she is five and going to school soon.  And that she can write her name.

As you can tell ... Ashley is over the moon with the promise of going to Kindergarten next year!  We filled out her enrollment packet this the weekend and she has carried around and "studied" her parent packet on multiple occasions.  She wanted to sit down and read through it with me (riveting stuff in there, I tell you!) and then check out the pages in the back that had the alphabet and the pages she could use to practice writing.  Never mind the fact that she can already write all her letters and sound out all her letters.  I guess it's just different when the "teacher-lady" is asking you to practice!

I am equally excited for my big girl to become a school girl, but part of my brain just can't wrap itself around the prospect of her being gone part of the day next year ... daily.  She has little play-dates here and there and it's a nice break for Mommy, but ... every day?  Off being independent?  Not needing her Mommy?  Learning things that I'm not teaching?  That's going to be weird.  And not just for me.

Little Lydia is in a for a big adjustment, too.  She has never known life without Ashley as her daily playmate.  She is very accustomed to having "Ash-eee" home during the day to play "Spy" or Hulla-baloo or snuggle on the couch and watch a show.  Come August, Liddy is going to have to get used to being home with ... well, me.  I'm certain that we will have a grand time together, but I know that she will miss her buddy.

They are certainly two-peas-in-a-pod.
They sit on the couch, cheek-to-cheek to watch Curious George.
They build pop-bead necklaces a mile long together.
They sit side-by-side at lunch time, sometimes sharing one another's crackers.
They hold hands across the seats in the van or the double stroller.
They argue like crazy over the same baby doll.

They've always been like that ....

One-month old Liddy getting some lovin'
from her two and a half year old  "big" sister.

And I hope they always will. :)

Because I don't know how long I could keep this up: